Since Amanda’s wedding is over (pictures and thoughts to follow in subsequent posts – it was a beautiful day and perfect in every way), I turned my efforts to working on a muslin mockup of #0291, Ladies Afternoon Wrap. I am working with the VPLL 1912 Project. We are sewing through patterns released in 1912, the year the Titanic sunk.

#0291 Ladies Afternoon Wrap, February 4, 1912

I realized right off that the layout was incorrect. This is the way it should be…

Correct layout placement

I cut the pattern pieces out of muslin. I also cut two bias strips 55” long X 3” wide. After cutting out the muslin the correct way, I marked all lines, darts and slash lines. The most important lines to include are the waist lines and trim placement lines. The front of my garment pattern piece did not have a waistline marking. I used the back waist mark to draft the front marking. I included some squares, circles and triangles to help with the process. I did not bother to cut out the belt and belt trim because I intend to make this out of a very cool piece of fabric I got at an auction years ago.

I then began to follow the instructions… as I am OCD, I try to follow to a “T” but I did make some notes that should make my subsequent version easier.

“Slash on indicated lines at shoulder darts… on wrong side, join darts matching and sewing on the seam allowance.”I sewed the darts first and then cut the slashes. It made it easier to sew.

“With a small stitch length, sew a reinforcement seam…” I followed this paragraph exactly as written, reinforcing the underarm slashes.

For Wrap Without Lining:

“Turn under one long edge of the bias trim strips 3/8 inch and hem for a finished edge. “ I turned the edge under 3/8” but did not hem, just pressed very well.

“Place wrong side of Trim strip to right side of Wrap, matching finished edge to indicated Trim Placement line – pin into place. Cut lower raw edge of Trim Strip to match contours of lower edge of Wrap. Unpin Trim Strip from Wrap. “ This step is unnecessary. The next paragraph I re-wrote as follows:

Place the right side of the Trim Strip to the wrong side of the Wrap, matching finished edge to indicated Trim Placement line. Pin. Cut lower raw edge to match contours of lower edge of Wrap. Iron the center of the garment so bias strip conforms to the curve of the garment. Sew trim to Wrap along raw edge, using a 3/8 seam allowance. Trim seam and press seam up toward Wrap.

Cutting the trim to match the curve of the garment

Steamed the bias trim to fit the edge after I cut it to fit

Turn the Trim Strip to the right side of the garment and topstitch all layers close along placement line

Pressing bias trim strip towards seam

Sewing the bias trim close to edge long trim placement line

As I moved through the instructions, everything went well until I came to “make soft tuck in wrap fronts by bringing the #2 to the #1 at the waistline and tacking in place to hold.” I neither had a waistline on the front of my garment or a #1 or #2! I folded the garment at the shoulder darts and matched the back and front lower edges. I used the back waistline line and drew a front waistline. I looked at the picture of the garment and made my #2 mark 3” from the center edge and my #1 mark 4” inches from the center edge at my new waistline mark. I made the soft tuck based on those measurements. I made sure to make the correct marks on the pattern piece.

“Make a soft double tuck, in Wrap backs by stacking the number twos and bringing them to the number one at the waistline and tacking in place to hold.” At this point I realized that while I had a waistline on my back, I could not see the #2’s and #1 on the back for the double tuck. It must have been on the “unprintable margins” from my printer. I drafted my #1 2 ¾” from the center back edge. The #2’s are ¾” away from #1 mark on each side at the waistline.

“With Right sides together, join the center back seam of the Wrap…” I followed this paragraph but then realized that the instructions did not include sewing the center front darts. I sewed them at this point, but realized that they were too shallow. I increased the dart depth by ¼” on each side of the dart. Again, I made the correct adjustments on the pattern piece.

"soft tucks" (double" on each side of the center back seam)

“With right sides together, join the collar pieces along the center back seam between numbers 19 and 20.” I added a square at 19. I followed the seam and added a circle at the end of the collar side seam.

“With right sides together, join the two collars along the upper edge, starting at number 19 and sewing along the wide flared end opposite.” I sewed to the circle I added, sewing from the square to the circle. I then flipped the collar and sewed from the square to the other circle on the opposite end. Sewing it this way keeps the collar, which is off-grain, from getting distorted.

“Trim the seams narrowly and turn the collar right side out. Press.”

Collar stitching from center back seam to circle...

Circle I added to the lower edge of the collar to match with the garment

“Join the collar to the neck edge of the wrap, matching the center back to the number 20 on the wrap.” I added a triangle on the collar pattern to match to the shoulder dart. I also added a circle to the center front of the wrap to match the circle on the collar. At this point I also understitched the collar to the front seam – from circle to circle.

Collar stitched to wrap

The back of the wrap

Front (without the finished seams)

I will make the wrap out of my chosen fabric and work through these steps with the sheer, colorful fabric. I will make choices of finishing based upon how the fabric folds and hangs. I already have an idea to use some beads instead of tassels on the finished garment.

[…] I worked on the ladies wrap and unfortunately ironed a big hole in my fashion fabric… so I scrapped that for now. I did make a muslin of the E0291 and blogged about my steps. You can see blog post HERE. […]